Nobody wants to challenge Bordeaux: Ligue 1 reviews

It seems that nobody is interested in mounting a serious challenge to the champions. Lille were making a strong case with a string of impressive results scoring goals, goals, goals. Not this week though, as they were undone by Sochaux. Les Lionceaux were two up inside ten minutes, Damien Perguis and Stephane Dalmat with the goals, and Lille spurned an early chance to pull one back when Yohan Cabaye was denied from the penalty spot. LOSC were content to bide their time, and Robert Vittek got them back in the game quarter of an hour from time, but the clock became their enemy and Sochaux held on. Meanwhile, Bordeux were up in the Alps and battered sorry Grenoble despite going behind. Laurent Batlles put Grenoble into a shock lead on the stroke of half-time, but the second half was just two minutes old when Jimmy Juan was sent off. You don't want to do that against the champions. Yoann Gouffran and Marouane Chamakh - still determined to leave the club with Liverpool now on the radar - got them in front within ten minutes of the red card and Fernando Cavenaghi sealed it late on.

Montpellier now move up to second, bouncing back well from defeat to Monaco by beating Lens. Hugo Montano was again on target, his seventh of the season, for the only goal of the game. Monaco's own challenge was maintained against PSG who slump to yet another defeat courtesy of Edel Bete's own goal. Auxerre and Marseille also won as the battle to become runner-up to Les Girondins hots up. Ireneusz Jelen is back for AJA and, predictably, got the winner in Nice as the game geaded into stoppage time. Mamadou Niang was Marseille's hero, scoring twice, once with a penalty, after Anthony Le Tallec had given Le Mans the lead in the Vélodrome. Lyon were also winners, again after going behind. Pierre Ducasse put Lorient in front, but Kim Kallstrom struck twice to win it after Lisandro's equaliser.

Down at the bottom, St Etienne grabbed another point in a goalless draw with Rennes, while Boulogne went down again, losing 2-0 at home to Valenciennes. Jérémy Blayac missed with a penalty that would have given Boulogne the lead and VA made them pay. Gaetan Bong handed them the lead early in the second half and Fahid Ben Khalfallah secured the points in stoppage time and Toulouse were held 0-0 at home by Nancy.

The league takes a break this week for the Coupe de France where the pick of the action is Lyon's trip to Monaco.